The holidays are meant to be a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness, but they can also come with a lot of stress—especially if your home is considered the designated hosting site. Are you finding that your home just isn’t set up to handle the influx of family, food, and festivities? Maybe your kitchen feels cramped, your guest rooms are too small, or you’re constantly scrambling for extra storage space to accommodate all the holiday essentials.
You’re not alone if you’re frustrated with your space not functioning the way it needs to when holiday gatherings are in full swing. It’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re not getting the holiday experience they deserve. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a custom home designed just for you, the holidays and every day in between, can transform how you celebrate, making hosting seamless and enjoyable.
At AV Architects + Builders, we specialize in creating custom homes that are perfectly tailored to your unique lifestyle. With over 23 years of experience designing and building luxury homes in Northern Virginia, we understand exactly what it takes to create spaces that are not only functional but also perfect for family gatherings, holidays, and everything in between. We know that the right design can make all the difference when it comes to ensuring your home works for you—whether it’s an intimate dinner or a full house for the holidays.
In this article, we’re going to explore eight common reasons why your current home might not be cutting it during the holiday season—and how you can fix them. We’ll highlight key design features and smart solutions that can help make your space more efficient and functional for holiday hosting. You’ll gain valuable insights into how a well-designed home can make the holidays (and everyday life) less stressful and more enjoyable.
Here are 8 reasons why your home might not be working for you during the holidays and how to fix them.
1. Not Enough Pantry Storage
When the holidays roll around, the amount of food and party supplies you need increases dramatically. For most people, the everyday kitchen just isn’t equipped to handle the extra groceries, snacks, and holiday ingredients. As a result, you end up storing food in the basement, garage, or any other available space you can find. This leads to the hassle of hauling food up and down stairs and inside and out whenever you need it, which can be both time-consuming and inconvenient.
Solution: Design a larger and more functional pantry space with shelves and storage units built in to hold bulk items, holiday-specific foods, and supplies. A dedicated pantry area will help you keep everything in one place and reduce the chaos when meal prepping.
2. Not Enough Refrigeration Space
Between the turkey, pies, drinks, and all the sides, the food alone can fill up your fridge during the holidays. If you have to rely on only one refrigerator in the kitchen, you may quickly find it’s just not enough. It’s common to end up using a fridge in the basement, garage, or an extra one in the mudroom, but managing multiple fridges and hauling food around can be cumbersome.
Solution: Add a second refrigerator, ideally in a location that’s easy to access from the kitchen or dining area. You can even designate the different fridges for different uses like one for food and the other for drinks and overflow items. This will help you store all your holiday necessities in one place, making it easier to find what you need without scrambling between different fridges in various parts of the house.
3. Not Enough Clean-Up: Trash Cans and Dishwashers
Holiday meals mean lots of cooking and even more cleaning. One dishwasher and a single trash can just aren’t enough to handle the amount of dishes, trash, and recyclables that pile up when you’re hosting. You’ll find yourself running back and forth to the trash, or scrambling to get through all the dishes in time for the next course while missing out on the holiday fun.
Solution: Plan for a second or even third dishwasher for efficient post-party clean-up and have multiple trash cans throughout the kitchen. This will help keep things tidy and ensure you’re not overwhelmed with cleaning up while the party is still going on.
4. Guest Rooms That Are Too Small
When family comes to stay, having comfortable guest rooms becomes essential. Unfortunately, many standard guest rooms are designed with children in mind, making them too small to accommodate adult couples. This lack of space can leave your guests feeling cramped and uncomfortable during their stay in your home.
Solution: Design large enough guest rooms that can easily fit an adult couple or multiple guests. Ideally, these rooms should come with their own en-suite bathroom, offering your guests a hotel-like experience. This ensures comfort and privacy, making their stay more enjoyable.
5. The Dining Room Is Dysfunctional
The dining room is often one of the most underused spaces in the home, reserved mainly for big gatherings like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Passover. But these rooms are usually either too small for the largest family gatherings or too large for everyday use. Furthermore, many dining rooms are located too far from the kitchen, making it impractical and inefficient for everyday use.
Solution: Consider designing an open-concept dining area that connects seamlessly with the kitchen. This will allow for larger gatherings while also maintaining functionality for day-to-day meals. A dining area that is flexible in size and can be easily adjusted to accommodate both large groups and everyday use will make your home more functional year-round.
6. Different Zones in the Kitchen for Multiple Cooks
The kitchen is often the hub of the holiday season, but with so many people cooking and prepping, it can quickly feel cramped. If you don’t have designated zones for different tasks—like food prep, drink-making, baking, and coffee brewing—you’ll end up with multiple people all trying to work in the same space, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
Solution: Create distinct zones in your kitchen to ensure multiple people can work at the same time without getting in each other’s way. Consider a prep zone, a baking station, a coffee nook, or a drink station to give everyone their own space to work, making meal prep and entertaining easier.
7. Not Enough Laundry Rooms
If you have a large family or often host guests during the holidays, you know how quickly laundry can pile up. With everyone staying in your home, you’ll need to wash and dry clothes, linens, and towels at a much higher volume than usual. If you only have one laundry room, it can become a bottleneck during busy times.
Solution: If your home is large enough, consider planning for a second laundry room or designated laundry area near guest rooms or the mudroom. This will help you stay on top of laundry without clogging up your primary laundry space.
8. Not Having a Space for the Dogs
During the holiday rush, pets can sometimes get overlooked, especially with all the guests and cooking happening. You don’t want your dogs underfoot while you’re trying to prepare meals or possibly escaping while opening and closing the door to greet guests.
Solution: Consider designing a dedicated pet room with a pet shower that connects to a fenced in yard. This space can help keep your dog calm and happy in their own room and out of the party chaos.
Holiday Hosting Made Easy: 8 Ways a Custom Home Can Improve Your Holiday Experience
The holidays should be a time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones, not stress over cramped spaces and inconvenient layouts. If you’re finding that your current space isn’t working as it should for the holidays—whether it’s a lack of pantry storage, cramped guest rooms, or a dysfunctional kitchen—there’s a solution. A custom home, designed to fit your unique needs and lifestyle, can transform how you experience the holidays and the all year round, ensuring that every gathering is seamless and enjoyable.
At AV Architects + Builders, we specialize in creating personalized, high-functioning spaces that make everyday life and holiday hosting effortless. With over 23 years of experience in designing and building custom homes in Northern Virginia, we understand what it takes to build a home that works for you year-round. If you’re ready to start creating the home of your dreams, Schedule a Discovery Call with our team today.
For more ideas, tips, and resources on how to design a home that suits your needs, visit our Learning Center. Explore expert insights and start planning a space that will make your holidays—and every day—stress-free and full of joy. Let’s build your perfect home together!